Vikings day at camp Monday: Fans have no trouble filling new facility

Monday @ camp: A daily dispatch from Eagan

Fans filling up new home

Crowds continued to pick up on a warm afternoon as the Vikings returned to practice after a day off on Sunday. The team started releasing more general admission tickets to training camp practices last week, and most of the GA seats in the end zones behind the Vikings' practice fields were full for the better part of the afternoon session.

Cousins will play as long as O-line does

Quarterback Kirk Cousins will get his first action in a Vikings uniform on Saturday night in Denver, but coach Mike Zimmer has no plans to keep Cousins in the game for any extended work the Vikings' first time out. "When the first offensive line goes out, he's going out," Zimmer said. "So it just depends how I'm feeling at the time."

Priefer impressed by top pick Hughes

First-round pick Mike Hughes has made a strong early impression as a cornerback in Vikings camp, but his earliest chance to contribute could come on special teams, where coordinator Mike Priefer said Hughes "has the potential to do anything he wants in this game." Said Priefer: "I've been around a lot of young people, and I think he's one of the guys that really understands what he needs to do to get better. He knows he hasn't arrived yet, even though he was a first-round draft pick. I love his attitude, I love his effort, and he's improving every day." Hughes could get work as both a kick and punt returner on Saturday night, and Priefer said Hughes could work out as a gunner, too.

Defensive line wins pass-rush drills

With Pat Elflein (shoulder/ankle), Nick Easton (neck/back) and Mike Remmers (ankle) all sitting out, the Vikings' makeshift line struggled against the team's deep and athletic group of pass rushers on Monday afternoon. Fourth-round pick Jalyn Holmes had a particularly strong day, with several surges through the middle of the Vikings' offensive line.

Camp chatter

"Whenever he sees me doing something, he leans over and says, 'Hey, this is what I would've done in this situation,' or, 'I see you trying to work this; this is a better way of doing it.' Absorbing those little nuggets will hopefully lead to me having success on the field."

— Defensive end Stephen Weatherly, on what he's gained from sitting next to Everson Griffen in meetings.

Injury report

In addition to Elflein, Easton and Remmers, the Vikings were again without running back Roc Thomas and wide receiver Chad Beebe on Monday. Wide receiver Tavarres King also sat out because of an injury.